SSB - Prog Supp GenIC - Afghan Arrivals Influx Assessment Guides

Afghan Arrivals Influx Assessment Guides

Formative Data Collections for Program Support

0970 – 0531

Supporting Statement

Part B – Statistical Methods

March 2022

Submitted By:

Office of Refugee Resettlement

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

4^th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20201

Project Officers:

Ken Tota, Deputy Director

Office of Refugee Resettlement

B1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

This assessment covers four of the states with the highest impact of Afghan arrivals: California, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Additionally, these four states represent a cross section of geographic regions. These four states were selected using Afghan arrivals data and in consultation with ORR Division Directors.

ORR will purposively select a mix of respondents from urban and rural areas to capture a range of local level contexts that can influence how service providers, clients, and other stakeholders experience ORR programs. Respondents will include the following:

• National Resettlement Agency Representatives (all 9 agencies)

• State Refugee Coordinators (SRC) or Replacement Designee

• Afghan clients

• Key stakeholders and partner groups

The universe of Afghan evacuees is 70,000 individuals. The goal is to have up to 80 (20 per state) Afghan evacuees participate in these client discussions. ORR will work with SRCs and national resettlement agencies to identify Afghan evacuees enrolled in ORR programs with varied demographic characteristics for potential participation. Requests will be sent to 80 Afghan evacuees (20 per state). Clients will be selected based on demographic characteristics, including gender, age, and language. Each client in each state will have an equal chance of selection. Clients will be separated into groups based on gender, as suggested by Hamid Khan (an expert on Afghan culture, see Supporting Statement A, section A8), and by language. There will thus be four groups per each geographic region: Pashto-speaking males, Pashto-speaking females, Dari-speaking males, and Dari-speaking females. It was strongly advised to organize groups this way due to the potential cultural differences between Pashto and Dari speakers, and more importantly between genders.

The universe of stakeholders and partners providing ORR services to Afghan evacuees is at least 5,000. The goal is to have up to 400 stakeholders and partners (100 in each state) participate in focus groups. The respective SRC and the national resettlement agencies that operate in the state will nominate participants for the stakeholder focus groups. ORR will then select participants based on expertise, relevance to a particular focus group, and regional balance.

The universe of SRCs (or Replacement Designees) is 50, one position assigned to each state. The goal is to interview the respective SRC or Replacement Designee in California, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.

The universe of national resettlement agencies is nine. Since all the national resettlement agencies provide ORR programs to Afghan evacuees in one or more of the four states, the goal is to interview a representative at each agency.

Respondents	Guide	Universe	Sample
Clients	AAIA Client Focus Group Guide	70,000	80
Stakeholders and partner groups	AAIA Stakeholder Focus Group Guide	5,000	320
	AAIA Affiliate Program Administration Interview Guide	665	80
National Resettlement Agency Representative	AAIA National Resettlement Agency Interview Guide	9	9
State Refugee Coordinator (SRC) or Replacement Designee	AAIA State Refugee Coordinator Interview Guide	50	4

B2. Procedures for Collection of Information

For each of the four states, data collection efforts will include the following:

• Focus groups with Afghan evacuees: 4 focus groups per state, up to 5 participants per group. Per the sampling methods described in B1 above, ORR, or the national resettlement agency through which the Afghan evacuee client has received services, will email an invitation to participate translated in the client’s respective language. Focus groups will be conducted virtually.

• Focus group with key stakeholders: 10 focus groups per state, 7-10 participants per group. Upon receipt of stakeholder nominations (as noted in B1 above), ORR will email individuals to request their participation. Focus groups will be conducted virtually.

• A semi-structured discussion with the SRC in each state. ORR will email each SRC to request their participation. Discussions will be conducted virtually.

• A semi-structured discussion with representatives from each of the nine national resettlement agencies. ORR will email each agency to request their participation. Discussions will be conducted virtually.

B3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Nonresponse

Expected Response Rates

The interviews and focus groups are not designed to produce statistically generalizable findings and participation is wholly at the respondent’s discretion. Response rates will not be calculated or reported.

Dealing with Nonresponse

As participants will not be randomly sampled and findings are not intended to be representative, non-response bias will not be calculated. Respondent demographics will be documented and reported in written materials associated with the data collection.

B4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

As described in Supporting Statement A, ORR consulted with Hamid Khan, Senior Policy Advisor at the Office of Refugee Resettlement) on the development of the guides. The interview and focus group guides are based on what ORR generally uses as part of its program monitoring and evaluation efforts.

B5. Individual(s) Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

The following individuals will collect and/or analyze data for this assessment:

• Daniel Creed, PhD

• Sarah Dunning, MBA

• Saunji Fyffe, PhD

• Edessa Jobli, MD

• Lauren Macpherson, MA

• Emily Nesheim-Bullock, MALD

• Sara Tompkins, JD

• Joseph Wantz, PhD

• Elizabeth Wojnar, MALD

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